Bookmark



30, 1955 A. GOINS 2,716,390

BOOKMARK Filed Dec. 29. 1950 INVENTOR Archie L. Goins BY QuLHQ-JMM/United States Patent BOOKMARK Archie L. Gains, Utica, Ky.

Application December 29, 1950, Serial No. 203,473

1 Claim. (Cl. 116-119) Generally speaking, the present invention relatesto a bookmark. More specifically, it relates to a novel bookmark capableof removable cooperation with books of various diiferent sizes and alsoadapted to selectively mark a desired point on a selected page of thebook. The improved bookmark is so constructed as to make it virtuallyimpossible for the bookmark to become disengaged from a desired locationin a book until it is manually removed therefrom.

I am aware of the fact that a great many prior art bookmarks have beendeveloped heretofore. However all of such prior art bookmarks known tome have serious disadvantages.

The first and major one of these disadvantages is the fact that any book(which shall be understood throughout this application to mean anyassembly of a plurality of pages) which has a selected page marked wih aprior art bookmark, may become inadvertently opened, dropped, ordislodged, from a selected position in which it normally rests. Thiswill frequently cause the bookmark to become completely disengaged withrespect to the book thus making it difiicult for the reader to locatethe point at which he is to resume reading when he next picks up thebook. The reason that this is so is because prior art bookmarks aremerely positioned between adjacent pages of a closed book (although in afew cases the bookmark is in frictional engagement with the top of thepage also). Thus it can become disengaged from the marked position veryeasily.

The second major disadvantage of prior art bookmarks is the fact thatthey merely mark a selected page but do not specifically mark a selectedpoint or region on the page.

Generally speaking, the improved bookmark of the present inventionincludes flexible endless loop means (which may comprise an actualendless loop or means adapted to be fastened together to elfectivelyform an endless loop and which is preferably, though not necessarily,elastic) adapted to be removably slipped over a plurality of pages(which may include one or more covers of a book) preferably in agenerally vertical direction with respect to said book. Also included ismarking means (preferably, though not necessarily, flexible) carried bythe endless loop in a manner such as to be capable of being selectivelypositioned in a desired location with respect to the selected page in abook. In one general form of the present invention this selectivepositioning feature just mentioned is accomplished by adjusting theentire endless loop means with respect to the book, while in anothermodified general form of the present invention the marking means isactually adjustably positioned with respect to the endless loop means.

In one general form of the present invention adjusting means may beprovided in the endless loop means for selectively adjusting the overalllength of the endless loop means so as to be capable of removableengagement with books of different sizes.

From the above general description of the present invention in severalversions, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that all thehereinabove mentioned disadvantages of prior art constructions, arevirtually entirely eliminated.

For example, oneportion of the endless loop means of the presentinvention actually engages the selected page of a book and is retainedin said position by reason of the fact that another portion of theendless loop means is in engagement with the outside of thecorresponding cover or outside page of the book. Thus it is practicallyimpossible for the improved bookmark of the present invention to becomeinadvertently disengaged from the book so as to effectively lose themarked position.

The flexible endless loop means can be effectively engaged in the abovementioned manner with respect to books of different sizes either bymeans of the adjusting means for altering the effective overall lengthof the endless loop means or by reason of the elastic quality of theendless loop means in that particular form of the present invention.

Furthermore, the marking means of the present invention in either of thehereinabove general forms, is capable of being selectively positioned invirtually any desired location so as to mark any particular point on aparticular page. This can be accomplished by vertically adjusting iteither by vertically moving the endless loop means or by verticallyrelatively moving the marking means with respect to the endless loopmeans, and by laterally moving the endless loop means carrying themarking means. Thus virtually any selected point on any selected pagecan be effectively marked and located with the device of the presentinvention.

The marking means of the present invention, may in one form, comprise arelatively non-flexible material if the device is intended to be used inbooks having a stiff covers, whereas it may comprise a relativelyflexible member in books having flexible covers so as to avoid injury tothe pages thereof in the event the book is bent or flexed. Either ofthese arrangements are interchangeable.

With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present inventionto provide a novel, cheap, simple improved bookmark virtually incapableof inadvertent disengagement with respect to a book having a placetherein marked thereby.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide novel,simple, cheap bookmark means adapted to effectively mark virtually anyselected point on any selected page in a book. i

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel,cheap, simple, improved bookmark virtually incapable of beinginadvertently disengaged with respect to a book having a place thereinmarked thereby. The arrangement being such that virtually any selectedpoint on any selected page can be effectively marked.

Other and allied objects will become apparent to those skilled in theart after a careful perusal, examination, and study of the accompanyingillustrations, the present specification and the appended claims.

To facilitate understanding, reference will be made to the hereinbelowdescribed drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one illustrative embodiment of thepresent invention in engaged position with respect to the right handcover and a plurality of pages of a book, the lefthand side of which isillustrated in fragmentary form only. The book is shown in dashed linesbecause it is not a part of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in vertical section, takenin the direction of the arrows IIII in Fig. 1 and primarily illustratesthe adjustable marking means.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in vertical section,taken in the direction of the arrows IIIIII in Fig. 1 and primarilyillustrates the adjusting means for selectively adjusting the overalllength of the endless loop means so as to be capable of removableengagement with books of diflerent sizes.

Generally speaking, the present invention comprises flexible endlessloop means adapted to be removably slipped over a plurality of pages ofa book (which may be one or more and which may or may not include one ormore covers) in a generally vertical direction with respect to saidbook. Also generally speaking, marking means is carried by said endlessloop means and is adapted to be selectively positioned with respect tothe text (or other displayed matter) on any selected page in a book soas to indicate virtually any desired point.

Preferably, though not necessarily, the flexible endless loop means maybe elastic, and the marking means may be flexible. Also preferably,though not necessarily, the marking means may comprise a virtuallylaterally directed pointer.

Also generally speaking, adjusting means may be provided in the endlessloop means for selectively adjusting the overall length of said endlessloop means so as to be capable of removable engagement with respect tobooks of different sizes.

In the specific example described and illustrated, the flexible endlessloop is indicated generally at 1 and is preferably, though notnecessarily, made of a suitable elastomeric material such as rubber,certain plastics, or the like.

In the specific example described and illustrated, the marking meanscomprises a pointer indicated generally at 2, which is preferably,though not necessarily, of a flexible material, and which is adjustablycarried on the loop 1 by means of suitably spaced apertures 3 separatedby a central solid portion 4, all so arranged as to receive the loop 1in a manner whereby it passes downwardly through the lefthand aperture 3as viewed in Fig. 2, under the solid portion 4 and upwardly through therighthand aperture 3. This arrangement causes the pointer 2 to becarried by the loop 1 in a lateral directed position capable of verticaladjustment with respect to the loop 1 by sliding the marking pointer 2up or down the loop 1 to any selected position with respect to the text(or other displayed matter) carried on the page 5 of the book indicatedgenerally at 6, thus marking a selected position in the book which maycorrespond to the point at which the reader stopped reading.

In the specific example described and illustrated the adjusting means inthe endless loop comprises a buckle indicated generally at 7 having twospaced apertures 8 therethrough and a central crossbar 9 separating theapertures 8. One end of the endless loop is looped around the crossbar 9and fastened to itself by suitable fastening means such as the rivets10. The other end of the endless loop is adapted to be extended upwardlythrough the righthand aperture 8, as viewed in Fig. 3, over the crossbar9 and downwardly through the lefthand aperture 8 shown in Fig. 3. Thiswill effectively frictionally lock the two ends of the loop 1 toeffectively form an endless loop means 1 which is capable of selectiveadjustment as to overall length in a manner whereby the endless loopmeans will be capable of removable engagement with books of differentsize l umerous modifications and variations of the present inventionwill occur to those skilled in the art after a careful examination andstudy hereof. All such properly within the spirit and teachings hereof,are intended to be included and comprehended herein as fully as ifspecifically described and illustrated herein.

For example, the endless loop means may be modified substantially fromthat described and illustrated herein, and in certain cases may benonelastic, if desired. It may actually be one continuous endless loopor it may be a longitudinal member adapted to be fastened so as toeffectively form endless loop means. and this is the meaning intended tobe conveyed when 1 use the term endless loop means. It may be placedaround any desired number of pages of a book, and may or may not includeone or more covers.

Various types of fastening and/or endless loop adjusting means otherthan the forms specifically described and illustrated herein may beemployed.

The marking means of the present invention is not limited to thespecific form described and illustrated herein but may comprise anydesired type of marking means whether employing a pointer or not andwhether adjustably or non-adjustably mounted with respect to the endlessloop means. In the latter case, to mark a selected point on a page of abook it will merely be necessary to adjust the vertical endless loopmeans and the marking means fixedly mounted with respect thereto.Furthermore, the marking means is not necessarily limited to a flexibleconstruction.

The exact composition, construction, configuration, and relativepositioning of the various component parts of the present invention arenot critical and can be modified substantially within the spirit hereof.

The embodiments of the present invention described and illustratedherein are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope hereofwhich is to be interpreted in the light of the prior art and theappended claim only with due considcration for the doctrine ofequivalents.

I claim:

An improved bookmark comprising: a flexible elastic flat belt defined bytwo edges and two surfaces and having opposite ends cooperable to befastened together to eflectively comprise loop means cooperable to belaterally removably slipped over a plurality of pages of a book tocooperably said plurality of pages of said book in a generallyvertically directed encompassing relationship with respect thereto;flexible marking means consisting of a virtually laterally directedflexible pointer provided with horizontal slot means therein, slidablycooperable with surfaces and edges of the fiat belt whereby to mountsaid flexible elastic pointer for virtually rectilinear verticalslidable movement along the vertically disposed belt and with respect tothe text of a selected page of a book so as to indicate virtually anydesired point thereon; and self-locking fastening and adjusting means Ieffectively connected. to one end of the belt and slidably cooperablewith the other end of the belt and responsive to tension exerted in adirection tending to enlarge the loop means to frictionally lock the twoends of the belt with respect to each other in a manner selectivelydisengageable by relatively moving the two ends of the belt in theopposite direction to allow adjusting the overall length of said loopmeans so as to be capable of removable engagement with books ofdifferent sizes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS139,936 Ward et al. June 17, 1873 865,092 Erickson Sept. 3, 1907 934,970Inman Sept. 21, 1909 952,185 Chelson et al. Mar. 15, 1910 1,003,481Lopes Nov. 14, 1911 2,259,363 Baitinger Oct. 14, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS226,439 Great Britain Dec. 29, 1924

